Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Colleagues, I’d like to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of my executive assistant and good friend, Shirley Firth-Larsson.

Shirley was among the first Aboriginal women to compete in various international cross-country ski competitions, including four World Ski Championships in 1972 to 1984. Shirley represented Canada in four consecutive Winter Olympics, a streak only equalled by speed-skating legend Gaetan Boucher.

Her career was an outstanding testimony to the dedication displayed by her in achieving a level of excellence very rarely attained by any athlete in the country. Shirley was a member of Canada’s National Cross-Country Ski Team for an unprecedented 17 consecutive years, competing at the top of the World Cup circuit.

Shirley competed in four World Ski Championships and four Olympics, won 42 Canadian National Championship medals: 29 Gold, 10 Silver and three Bronze.

Shirley was awarded with the Northwest Territories Commissioner’s Award, the Order of Canada, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award, the National Aboriginal Achievement Award and the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Award. She was inducted into the Canadian Museum Ski Hall of Fame and inducted in the Banff Sports Hall of Fame.

Shirley, it is an honour to work with you. Please join me in welcoming my executive assistant, Ms. Shirley Firth-Larsson, into the House today.

---Applause

Thank you, colleagues. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.